Get the most out of Oolong Teas

Oolong teas cover the range from green to black, with a wide variety of flavors. Learn how to make the most of this wonderful tea category."
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Russian Earl Grey Tea

Tea has been consumed in Russia for centuries. The drink was first introduced
to the country during the Tsarist era in 1618. The Chinese ambassador to
Moscow at the time presented Tsar Michael Fedorovich with several chests
of tea as a gift. Although the Tsar accepted the gift with legendary Russian
grace, the tea was not very well received at first. The Tsar and the people of
his court were accustomed to drinking warm fruit and herbal beverages, therefore
finding the new beverage slightly bitter. According to Russian folklore, it was
one of Tsar Michael's chefs who came up with the idea of adding fruit and
spice to the tea in order to enhance its flavor. Various blends were experimented
with using combinations of ginger, salt, orange peel, rice, onions, and
various herbs and spices. The most popular of these blends, however, were
the more heavily sweetened versions based on citrus fruit. As years wore on,
tea consumed in this fashion spread throughout Russia, and samovars, a
unique and traditional Russian teapot, became ubiquitous throughout the
continent. To this day, Russians are among the highest per capita tea drinkers
in the world and enjoy the drink at all times of the day.

Our Russian Earl Grey was created in honor of Tsar Michael and in
keeping with the Russian tradition, orange peel and lemongrass were added
to the tart character of bergamot (the citrus fruit used to flavor all Earl Greys)
creating an unquestionable citrus flavor! Enhanced with cornflower petals. Add
a splash of milk to really bring out the citrus overtones of the blend - or add
some sugar to sweeten it up Russian style! Use one teaspoon per cup and steep 3 minutes in freshly boiled water.